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Translator: Silavin
The stone slab kept rapidly rotating, and Ru was becoming more and more proficient. Though, this was based on having ruined about ten pieces.
Of course, Su Bai did not think much of it. After all, how many truly meticulous people could there be in a Primitive Tribe? Most were brought up rough, who ate meat and drank blood. Ru’s current performance was already exceptional under such circumstances.
“Shaman, what I made doesn’t look good…” Ru felt guilty. The bowl in his hands, though no longer crooked and twisted, was not very attractive.
“It’s fine, just keep practising. If you want to get good at creating something great, you have to practise.” Su Bai said softly.
Ru’s red eyes immediately became serious, and he responded earnestly, “Shaman, I will work hard.”
“Mm, you continue practising. If you don’t understand something, ask me. I’m going to check on the linen and papermaking,” Su Bai calmly stated. He turned and walked towards the stone mill, seeing it rotating at a steady pace.
[Relying solely on manpower won’t do…] Su Bai rubbed his chin thoughtfully, continuing to mutter to himself, “If we had donkeys or horses, it would be better. That way, we would be able to free up more manpower. What this Primitive Tribe lacked most now is people. If it took several people just to turn the stone mill, creating cremanics would not be worth it.”
“Shaman, what did you say?” Yu Ying had been watching him mumble something.
“It’s nothing, I’m just thinking about some things.” Su Bai smiled, continuing to observe the operation of the stone mill.
He noticed that their papermaking speed was much faster this time, unlike when they first started. When they first started, they would fumble around and only be able to make a few dozen sheets of paper a day. Now, they could make about a hundred sheets a day, all of which were stored in Su Bai’s Teepee.
It was not time to bring out these papers yet. They had to wait until they reclaimed their Ancestral Land and the Tribe truly grew in numbers before they could reveal them. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if others came with a group of people to rob them.
*Tap tap tap…* Su Bai stepped over to the weaving area. The weavers were also becoming more proficient. They were now very familiar with the operation of the loom, able to weave a piece of cloth in just a few moves.
Half an hour later, after checking on the papermaking and weaving, Su Bai returned to the ceramics production area.
Ru, his hands covered in clay, exclaimed excitedly, “Shaman, I did it!”
Su Bai looked at the clay bowl on the recently stopped stone slab and found that it was indeed quite well made. The size of the clay bowl, the smoothness of its exterior, and its overall appearance were all passable.
“Not bad, you indeed learn quickly. Practise a few more times, and you will be able to do even better.” Su Bai praised.
For someone who only knew how to eat meat and do rough work, this was a great opportunity. Although the bowl he made was not a perfectly qualified bowl, it was already much better than when Ru first started.
“I understand,” Ru nodded excitedly.
He eagerly moistened his hands again, dug out a lump of yellow clay, placed it on the stone slab, and continued to mould.
“Take the finished ones out to dry in the Sun. After they’re dry, we can glaze them.” Su Bai instructed.
“Yes.” The Warrior Trainee nodded and began to carry out the three finished bowls and jars. Of course, these three were the ones Su Bai had made as demonstrations.
Su Bai taught Ru many techniques, such as kneading the clay, using the Ram’s Head Wedge Kneading’ technique, which would thoroughly mix the uneven wet and dry parts of the clay.
Because before making ceramics, the most important step was kneading the clay. If this step was not done well, most of the ceramics made would later on be marked useless. When there was air in the clay, it needed to be kneaded out. The Spiral Kneading technique can perfectly squeeze out the air bubbles.
Of course, Su Bai also carefully taught Ru the Ram’s Head Wedge Kneading and Spiral Kneading techniques, ensuring he could keep up.
The next step was throwing, which involves throwing the clay ball onto the centre of the turntable on the stone slab. This was followed by the flexing and relaxing of the hand, forming the rough shape of the clay.
After making the basic model, the next step was trimming. While rotating, a smooth Beast Bone would be used to trim it, making the thickness of the body appropriate and the surface smooth inside and out.
After this comes drying. It was only after drying that glazing could begin. Most ceramic products needed to be glazed before they could be fired in the kiln.
The glazing process seems simple, but it was also an extremely important and difficult step to master. It was necessary to achieve a uniform and consistent glaze layer on all parts of the body, with appropriate thickness. To achieve this, one needed to pay attention to the different fluidity of various glazes.
Only after glazing could it be sent to the earth kiln for firing. This completes the full ceramic manufacturing processes.
Su Bai was very patient at each step of the production, explaining to Ru step by step, including why things were done in a certain way.
“Shaman, am I doing this step correctly?” Ru began kneading the clay according to what Su Bai taught.
“En, be careful when kneading, make sure to knead out all the bubbles inside. Otherwise, the ceramics made will easily crack.” Su Bai explained the pros and cons.
“I understand.” Ru kept his head down, continuously kneading the yellow clay. He learned both techniques quickly, and in no time, he had kneaded the yellow clay to the appropriate design.
Su Bai nodded lightly and instructed, “Make another one for me to see. If it’s good, then you’ve actually managed to learn it.”
This step was troublesome, but it was also a necessary path. Only by spending some effort teaching him today, once learnt, could he do the rest himself. Otherwise, if Su Bai relied solely on himself to make ceramics, how long would it take? Moreover, he had many other things to busy himself with.
So, he could only be patient and teach one person, and then let that person learn this skill.
“Alright,” Ru immediately started making a new ceramic piece. He placed the yellow clay on the stone slab, which began to rotate rapidly. His hands, following the example, began to shape the rough form of the body.
Half an hour later, he had made another small bowl. It looked even better than the previous one.
“Shaman, how does it look?” Ru asked excitedly, his heart beginning to expect praise. It was clear that this one was indeed much better than the last.
“Not bad. This one is even better than the last one. Continue practising for the whole day.” Su Bai said, his hands behind his back. He continued to instruct, “Keep making these with the yellow clay, and tomorrow, we’ll take the finished ones out to dry.”
Su Bai still believed that ceramics needed to be made well. Though they could not be exquisite and delicate, they should not be too rough to the touch either.
“Yes, Shaman.” Ru immediately responded.
“If there’s anything you don’t understand, have someone ask me.” Su Bai said, enunciating each word.
“I will, Shaman.” Ru excitedly said.
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